Three Board Games That Would Make Awesome Movies

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With the exception of Clue, movies based on existing board games tend to be pretty terrible. But they don’t have to be. Instead of Battleship or, heaven help us, Monopoly, let’s focus on some games that practically scream movie material. To help Hollywood out, here are my suggestions for cinema worthy content.

Eldritch Horror

Despite the appellation of the “Roaring 20’s,” not all is carefree and exciting. Beneath the surface, an Ancient One stirs. A small band of adventurers, all of whom have been touched by the Mythos in some way, find that a local cult goes much deeper. And if they don’t act quickly, the final horror will rise and lay waste to the Earth!

A movie based on Eldritch Horrorcould go full horror and be all about stopping a sinister organization bent on sacrificing themselves to an unknown god. Perhaps the heroes win out in the end, but the audience is left knowing that it is only a matter of time before a new priest of Dagon surfaces and the ritual begins again.

Alternatively, you could do what The Mummy did in 1999 by taking a horror concept and making an awesome adventure movie out of it. Perhaps the heroes attempt to use guns against the ancient evil, only to discover that something much more mystical is required for their destruction. Either way, it’s a little surprising that there hasn’t been a movie set anywhere in the Mythos.

Alchemists

Alchemistsis already a hilarious game about mixing ingredients and seeing what comes up. Rather than play as the rugged adventurers, the players are ivory tower academics attempting to deduce the secrets of alchemy–all while enticing students to drink their mixtures and selling the results to wandering adventurers.

This could easily be the basis for a fantasy genre Animal House, told from either the perspective of the professors or the students. It’s easy to conceive of high jinks with a magical twist. Plot wise, it could be about a new alchemical creation that is sweeping the campus, but perhaps there’s something not quite right about the professor’s theory.

Alternatively, you could go full-on mockumentary–Christopher Guest style. Grab four or five “professors” with crazy but memorable personalities. Interview them as they prepare their concoctions leading up to a professor’s conference. Laughter ensues.

Dead of Winter

The best part of Dead of Winterisn’t the zombies. Zombies are great and all, but if you want a zombie killing game you can grab Last Night on Earth or Zombicide. No, what makes Dead of Winter awesome is the psychological setting–not knowing who is the betrayer or even if one exists.

Notably, I’m not the only one that thinks Dead of Winter is ripe for cinema. Geek & Sundry has already put together an awesome and hilarious short. If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth a watch.

The theme also lends itself easily to a mystery or psychological thriller. A group of desperate individuals come together. Strangers initially, they huddle together for strength against the zombie horde. But the movie isn’t about that horde. Instead, each of the characters seems to contribute less than their fair share to the needs of the colony. Halfway through, it becomes clear that someone is actively working against the group. Who is it? And why? And can the group figure it out before the colony succumbs?

Did I miss any other titles that would make awesome movies? Tell us about it in the comments.